What Low Carb Can Do Once. . .

In November of 2009 I went in search of a way of eating I could maintain for the rest of my life that would help me to lose weight, and then keep it off. At a class, I ran into a friend who had shed a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. "How did you do it?" I had to ask. She went on to tell me of a book written by Diane Kress called Metabolism Miracle. Of course I went straight out and bought it. Miracle, it is not. What it is is a low-carb diet. But what turned on the light bulb for me was that it discussed how to do low-carb and eat a vegetarian lifestyle. What? Unheard of! But no. It's true!

I went on to follow Ms. Kress's diet for five months. The results can be seen in the photo above. Pretty dramatic, if I do say so myself. Her diet is not Atkins, however. She required that you eat only 5 carbs every 5 hours for the first 6 weeks and then start adding in carbs, between 11 and 20 carbs every 5 hours until you lose all the weight you want. What? Go from 20 to 60 or more carbs a day? Of course my loss stalled. Then my MIL was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Then I moved into her home to take care of her. Then I started increasing my carbs, then I was off low-carb completely.

OK, two years later, this is me today. Actually, it's me 3 weeks ago just before I went Veggie Low-Carbing. I am fat and unhealthy all over again. I don't know what I'm smiling about. Maybe it's because I have hundreds of beautiful fabrics behind me that will someday become gorgeous clothes for the new, trimmer, firmer, thinner, athletic me. (Remind me to put make-up on before anyone wants to take my picture.) God, I look I'm wearing shoulder pads in this picture and my spare tire (which is competing with my boobs) has it's own spare tire!

Now I suppose you want a recipe, right? Who am I to deny? This is what I made after reading about.com's almond pancake recipe. I was craving chocolate, so that's the direction I went. I usually leave out the cocoa powder and use sugar-free maple syrup instead. Mine came out to 16 net carbs for the entire recipe. I got 4 servings at 4 net carbs/serving.

Low-Carb Chocolate Pancakes

3/4 cup almond meal
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate syrup (mine is Torani brand)
2 tbsp heavy cream

In a medium size bowl, wish together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients. Add a tiny amount of water to make the batter pancake batter consistency if you need to. Pour onto a heated oiled griddle until bubbles form on top and the bottom is browned. Flip and cook the other side until brown. Pretty much like you cook any pancake.

These a pretty sweet and very delicious and super filling. I at three silver-dollar sized ones with peanut butter for breakfast. I have plenty more for a couple more breakfasts if my husband doesn't eat them all first.